Not Crazy
by 7RedCards
Summary: Eli is diagnosed with schizophrenia and put into an institution. His hallucinatory friends aren't supposed to be real...but are they? And when he meets another schizophrenic, what'll happen? Bonnie/Freddy, Eli/Shane! (As a present to mah bae :3) And one sided Eli/?
1. Chapter 1

**This is just an idea I developed based on...well...whatever it was, I can't remember really XD Enjoy chapter one~!**

"Can you tell me your name?" The psychologist asks. Eli looks at him blankly.

"You know, you have a file on me right next to you. You don't need me to tell you anything that you can't read." He replies boredly, looking over at Silas, who's standing next to him and glaring at the doctor with clenched fists. Silas is tall and broad shouldered with messy black hair and bright green eyes.

"I can already tell this is just another pompous moron." He growls, looking at Eli. The doctor ignores the comment.

"Do you know why you're in this institute?" He continues. Eli rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Because I have schizophrenia, and people lock up anything that they can't predict. Human or animal, passive or aggressive...it doesn't matter to people like you."

"Like me?" The doctor asks. Silas rolls his eyes.

"I rest my case..." He mutters, looking over to Ashley, who's on Eli's right. A petite, pretty girl younger than Silas but older than Eli, with light blonde hair (with a blue streak) and deep blue eyes. She smirks.

"We find the defendant guilty of all charges." She says authoritatively, but she's grinning. The doctor ignores them both.

"People who wanna put on a white coat and have a clipboard because they have such sad lives that they enjoy ruining others'. Whether it's an elderly with Alzheimer's or a child with cancer, you feel better about your own shitty life when you tell other people that they have six months to live or that their brain is basically shutting down completely." Eli says, grimacing as the doctor continues to write on that damned clipboard.

"I see you're a bit cynical when it comes to doctors?" Eli sighs.

"And police officers. I definitely prefer firemen."

"Why?"

"Cops lie to you. They'll say that your close family member just needs to answer some questions, then slams them to the ground and arrests them. Firemen don't yell 'jump!' and move the trampoline outta the way." The doctor cracks a smile at the comment.

"Well, what career would you like to pursue?"

"After going through this shithole? I'll be so drugged up that I won't be able to walk without hitting the ground face first. And then I'll giggle about it like Spongebob."

"Eli."

"...a psychologist..."

"I thought you didn't like doctors?"

"That's a psychiatrist."

"You know the difference?"

"A psychologist helps them deal with grief or trauma. A psychiatrist diagnoses them with meds."

"Well, you've certainly got the gist of it." Silas yawns and sighs.

"So, who are your friends?" Silas glares.

"Hey, we can speak for ourselves!" Eli interrupts him.

"They're my family, not my friends."

"Well, who're these particular members?"

"Ashley and Silas. My brother and sister. Sorta..."

"Sorta?"

"They've taken care of me since I was little."

"How old are they?"

"Silas is twenty-three and Ashley is nine-teen."

"And they've cared for you since...?"

"Since I was eight, if you want me to be specific."

"Yes, thank you. Now, where did you get those?" The doctor gestures to large cuts on Eli's arms.

"...Silas did it..."

"I thought he takes care of you?" Silas's fists clench, and rage fills his eyes.

"He does. He loves me. He just has a bad temper..."

"Bad enough to cut the one he wants to protect?" Silas looks angry enough to murder the doctor.

"It's just when I make him worry about me, like when I was late coming home. Or when I do something stupid, like the time I was caught shoplifting."

"What about Ashley? Has she ever hurt you?" Ashley keeps a joking smile, but her fists clench slightly and her eyes darken a bit.

"She can calm Silas down when I can't. And she's a great cook."

"What are Ashley and Silas to each other?" Both of them now look confused, having not expected such a question.

"Friends."

"I see...anything more than that?" Ashley's eyes widen, and Silas looks from angry to mortified. Eli makes a face.

"What?! Gross!" A timer goes off.

"I'm sorry Eli, that's all of the time we have. I'll be back next week. Try to have a good time here until then." The doctor leaves. Eli lays on his small, but comfortable bed and stares up at the ceiling. The room is large enough to walk around in, but is small compared to his old room in their house. Silas and Ashley join him, but it's a tight fit.

"I call first shower." Silas says suddenly, gesturing to the small bathroom. Ashley makes a face.

"No shit, you stink." She comments, making Eli giggle. They both grin. Eli sees a bookshelf on the far wall.

"Hey, will you guys read to me...?" He asks. Ashley giggles and walks over, grabbing a book and sitting down on the bed by Eli.

"This one's called 'Jurassic Park.'"

"Ooh, sounds cool~!" Eli exclaims.

/

Outside, the doctors watch him through cameras hidden in the room. He's looking at thin air and giggling like a child. The book is floating in mid air.

"Interesting..." The doctor mutters.

/

Ashley opens the book and begins to read while Silas stands.

"I'm gonna take a shower." He says, locking the bathroom door behind him.

/

Eli looks at the book as it opens, while the door shuts and locks itself.

"They aren't hallucinations..." The doctor says.

/2 hours later/

Eli yawns. Ashley smiles and closes the book, putting it on a nightstand. Silas turns off the light. They both lay down on the bed, Eli in the middle.

"I love you guys..." He mutters. Silas ruffles his hair, and Ashley hugs him.

"Love you too."

/8 AM/

"Eli, wake up!" A nurse calls. Eli groans, as do Silas and Ashley. The redhead scoots closer to Silas, who hugs him tightly. "You have a schedule to follow! It'll be fun!"

"What if I don't like what I'm supposed to do...?"

"We show you all of the available activities and you pick your four favorites! A lunch period and 'break' will be planned accordingly."

"Break...?"

"You may socialize with other patients."

"Oh...sounds like school."

"That's good if you enjoy school. Do you?"

"...yes..." He pries myself out of Silas's grip and leaves the room. "Don't lock the door please." He tells her. "Ash and Si will be out soon..." The nurse nods and leaves the door unlocked. She leads Eli down a long, bright blue colored hallway. "Don't colors effect people's moods?" I ask. She grins.

"Smart boy. Yes, they do. I mean, this place would seem more depressing and desolate than it does already if it were painted gray or black." Eli giggles.

"Point taken." They walk by several rooms with names on the doors along with their disorder.

 _Bonnie: Bipolar Disorder._

 _Foxy: Pyromania._

 _Chica: Kleptomania._

 _Freddy: Rage Blackouts._

One in particular catches Eli's eyes.

 _Shane: Paranoid Schizophrenia._

He bites his lip and looks through the small window. A boy about his age (but a bit shorter) with red hair is curled up in the corner of the room. He's slowly rocking back and forth, jumping at every little noise. Then he sees Eli in the window. Eli steps away to keep the boy from freaking out, then continues to follow the nurse.

 **It seems that we have a possible budding relationship :3 Hope you enjoyed~!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I hope you all had a happy thanksgiving! And now, enjoy the chapter! Especially you, Shane-senpai X3**

"Here's an art room." The nurse says as Eli looks through the window on the door. Several patients around his age or older are painting, drawing, and molding clay.

"Why have an art room?" Eli asks her, watching a purple haired boy carefully etch designs into a clay bowl.

"It's therapeutic. Art tends to calm people down because they can express their emotions without having to lash out or yell. You should've seen this place before we had these sorts of activities..." She makes an only half joking shiver. Eli grins a bit.

"I like drawing..." He says quietly.

"I'll set it up as one of your first activities of the day." She says and writes it down on a small notepad, then leads him to another room. "This is the music room. We have pianos, guitars, drums...pretty much everything. In fact, four of our patients have started a band recently. They play during special events, like for Halloween or Christmas."

"I've always wanted to learn the piano!" Eli exclaims, grinning. The nurse smiles and writes it down.

/30 minutes later/

"So you've seen every room. And if you ever get lost, just ask a doctor or nurse. Or another patient, if necessary." The nurse tells him as they stop by his room, then looks at a clock. "It's 11 AM. Would you like to return to your room or go to the courtyard with everyone else?" Eli's eyes widen.

"I have a choice?" He asks.

"Of course! This isn't Hell, you know. You can even request for an item in your room once a month. There's no guarantee that you'll get it, but it's worth mentioning."

"Let me just...go to my room for a bit. Then I'll go outside." Eli says, walking into his room. Silas and Ashley are still asleep. Eli sighs and walks over to Ashley. "Ash..." He whispers, shaking her gently. She opens her eyes halfway.

"Yeah, sweetie...?" She asks tiredly.

"I'm gonna go outside, is that okay?" Ashley smiles.

"Of course it is...try to make friends, okay?"

"I will, sis." He replies, then leaves the room. He bites his lip and looks down the hallway to his left. Then the one to his right. Where's the courtyard again...? He walks down the right hallway, hoping to find a doctor or a nurse. But the hallway's empty. Panic rises in his throat, and he turns around. His room door isn't anywhere to be seen. Neither is the hallway. Just inches behind him is a brick wall. He backs away slowly, then turns and runs down the hall. Every time he turns his head, the brick wall is closer. Then he looks ahead and stops. At the end of the hallway is a tall, black figure. He hears demonic laughter, and the light above the figure goes out. But he can see it's eyes. It's glowing, dead white eyes.

"Come and play with us, Eli..." It hisses, baring it's sharp teeth as it slowly walks towards him. With every step it takes, another light goes out. Eli whimpers and backs up until he hits the wall. Then he slowly slides to the floor and curls up, rocking back and forth as he hears the figure step closer...and closer...and-

"Are you okay?" A voice asks. Eli slowly looks up, tears pouring down his face. The same boy that he'd seen earlier...Shane...is kneeled in front of him, worry written across his face. His eyes are green (I think. Sorry if I'm wrong senpai XD) and his hair is reddish brown with a small portion of it dyed purple. He's a little chubby, but in a way that Eli can only describe as cute. He has an Australian accent that, in any other situation, would make Eli grin like an idiot.

"...yeah..." Eli whispers, sniffling. His eyes widen when Shane wipes his tears away with his thumb and smiles.

"You're okay, calm down..." He says, gripping Eli's arm gently until his breathing slows.

"Thank you..." Eli mutters, his face a little red. "I-I got a little lost..." Shane grins.

"Where did you wanna go?" He asks. Eli stands shakily and wipes his nose with his sleeve.

"To the courtyard..." He says, looking around until he hears Shane laugh.

"It's right there!" He says, pointing down the hallway to some metal doors. Eli blushes and looks down silently. Shane immediately stops laughing. "Hey, I'm sorry...please don't cry again..." Eli shakes his head.

"I'm not crying..." He mutters. Shane frowns.

"Hey, what if I go outside with you, huh?" He asks. Eli looks at him and realizes that Shane's a bit shorter than he first though. About 5'4. He almost grins, then decides against it.

"Okay..." He says, then sniffles again. Shane smiles and leads him outside.

"Since you're new here, I'll go ahead and make sure you know who everyone is and why they're here." Shane points at two blonde haired girls. One with her hair down, the other with a ponytail. "Chica and Charlotte, or Charlie. Twin sisters. They both have kleptomania. They got caught stealing two cars and even stole the judge's gavel while he wasn't looking."

"Ha..." Eli laughs a bit, making Shane grin as he points to the purple haired boy.

"That's Bonnie. He's bipolar. He got sent here after he threatened to kill his neighbors and attacked them." He points to a tall, broad shouldered man with brown hair. "Freddy. He has rage blackouts and almost killed his little brother Red. But his twin brother and Red still visit him every week."

"Aww..." Shane smiles and gestures to a tall red haired boy talking to a slightly shorter boy with black hair.

"Foxy and Mike. Foxy has pyromania and almost caught two apartment buildings on fire. Mike has severe depression and almost killed himself. Word is that they like each other."

"Cute!" Eli says.

"That's Sam." (OC INCOMING!) Shane points to a tall, thin teenager with blonde hair. He's holding a stuffed bear and seems to be talking to it in a corner by the fence surrounding the courtyard. "He has Multiple Personality Disorder, and he's alway carrying that bear around. The last time someone took it, he had to be restrained by four doctors." Eli bites his lip.

"There's Marion." Shane looks at a thin, pale boy wearing black and constantly switching focus from person to person. "Acute paranoia and insomnia. He doesn't trust anyone. And he freaks out if he doesn't have his music for too long."

"Oh."

"And that's Vincent, Bonnie's cousin." Shane looks over to a tall, muscular boy sitting on a bench with a withering glare fixed onto his face. "He has psychopathy. Don't mess with him."

"What about you?" Eli asks. "What're you here for?" Shane bites his lip.

"For a lot of reasons that I'd rather not share. Not everyone here tells what they've done. They just tell us one thing and that's it." Shane looks at him. "What about you?"

"Attempted murder." Eli replies simply. "And reckless endangerment, and shoplifting, and assault, and resisting arrest, and-"

"Okay, WAY too much badass for one day." Shane interrupts, grinning. Eli blinks, then starts to laugh. "If you want, you can go ahead and talk to whoever you want. But try not to say the wrong thing." Shane walks away. Eli grins a bit and stares after him, blushing. Then he walks over by a bench and sits down, humming a song and looking outside of the fence.

"I wonder how Butterscotch is doing..." He mutters. "I hope they didn't put him down..." He sighs and watches some of the boys play basketball. His eyes shift over to Vincent, who's staring at him. Eli shivers a bit and pretends not to notice. Until the blonde stands and walks over to him. Eli still pretends not to notice. Vincent sits by him silently, but Eli doesn't say anything.

"Are you the new kid?" Vincent asks. His voice is deep, but not exactly a baritone. Eli slowly nods, clasping his hands to stop them from shaking. But Vincent doesn't say anything. He just stands and leaves. Eli shivers and looks around, his eyes catching on Sam, still huddled in a corner. Eli walks over and starts to talk, then a nurse walks out.

"It's time to eat!" She exclaim. Sam gets up and quickly walks past him. Eli walks in and looks back a bit. Vincent is watching him. Eli walks a bit faster and enters the cafeteria.

 **I'll just leave off here. You guys enjoying these longer chapters? I hope so :D And I hope you liked it senpai~!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright guys! Back with chapter three! I hope you all (and mah Sweetheart 3) enjoy it~!**

 **School starts again for me tomorrow, so it's back to uploading on weekends only DX Sorry guys!**

Eli walks into the large cafeteria and looks around while walking in a crowd of people that Shane hadn't introduced him to. The room is colored blue and white, and the tables are bright orange. Eli looks back and sees that Vincent isn't looking at him anymore. He sighs and looks at the food. Pizza! He grabs six slices and walks to an empty table. He sits down just as Ashley and Silas walk in. He waves to them, and they sit on either side of him.

"How's your day been, kiddo?" Silas asks, grinning and ruffling Eli's hair. Eli giggles childishly and hands them some pizza.

"It's been great! I have a new friend named Shane and he's really nice and cute and-" He stops, his face growing red quickly. Ashley and Silas stare at him silently for a few seconds, then continue talking.

"Well, it's great that you're making new friends!" Ashley tells him as she takes a bite out of a pizza slice. "You should have more people to hang around than just us."

"Not that we're complaining!" Silas quickly adds. "Personally, I'd hug you and never let you go anywhere else if I could. But it's good to have lots of friends." Eli nods and eats quickly, finishing just as Shane sits across from him.

"Hey there!" He says, grinning. Eli smiles, but blushes a bit.

"Hi..." He mutters back. Ashley looks between them and grins.

"I already ship this like FedEx." She says, making Eli blush deeper. But Shane doesn't seem to take notice and grins.

"You look like a tomato, are you okay?" He asks. Eli nods quickly and fakes a smile.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" He exclaims. Shane nods and looks at the plate.

"Geez, three more pieces?" He asks, looking surprised. "How're you so skinny?" Eli frowns.

"I don't eat all that much. Silas and Ash eat most of it." As if on cue, they both stop eating and stare at Shane. Said boy shivers a bit, then looks around.

"Do you think it's cold?" He asks. Eli shakes his head. "Oh...so who're Silas and Ashley?"

"My brother and sister. They're sitting right by me. Si on my left, Ash on my right." Shane blinks and looks confused.

"There's no...uh, never mind." He says, smiling. "So, what's up?"

"Vincent's being kind of a creeper..." Eli says. "He's been following me around and watching me." Shane's eyes widen.

"That's creepy..."

"No kidding. But my next 'activity' is I guess just hanging out in my room until they work out a schedule for me."

"Well, if you have nothing better to do, want me to show you my own little secret hangout?" Shane asks, grinning. "And it's not my room." Eli giggles and looks at Silas. He bites his lip, but nods reluctantly.

"Sure, I'll go!" Eli grins at Shane, who grins back. A nurse walks in and calls for everyone to report to their next activity. Shane gets up and leaves. Eli kisses Ashley's cheek and hugs Silas, then follows.

"Come on slowpoke!" Shane says, walking up a flight of stairs. Eli follows closely and notices that this is an entire other hallway. There are other patients, and they don't look as friendly.

"Why're all of the nice people one floor below?" He asks.

"The floors and patients go in order. First floor is people that didn't perform big crimes but tried. Second floor is for people that DID perform them before getting caught. And the third floor is for people that BARELY got off on an insanity plea." Shane replies. Eli nods and keeps following him...but a little closer than before. They pass through the third floor. Eli's scared to look into the rooms, but one catches his eye.

 _Vincent_

 _Psychopathy_

"Vincent's on the third floor...?" Eli whispers. Shane nods.

"Yeah. He's better behaved, so they moved him down."

"What did he do...?" Eli asks.

"Why don't you just ask him?" A deep voice asks from behind them. Eli screams and whirls around to see Vincent right behind him. The blonde smiles and steps closer to him. Eli backs away until his back hits the wall. He looks over at Shane, who has an extremely pale face. Vincent grips Eli's jaw and jerks it so he's looking into the blonde's gray eyes.

"Please..." Eli whispers. "Don't hurt me..." Something flashes in Vincent's eyes, and he smiles a bit wider. 'He's enjoying this', Eli realizes. 'He enjoys watching me squirm'...but there's also something else that he can't identify.

"I love your voice..." He suddenly mutters, making Eli blush. "I'd like to hear it more..." Eli whimpers as the blonde leans closer so his mouth is right next to Eli's ear.

"V-Vincent..." He whimpers, closing his eyes. Vincent grins.

"I'll see you tonight, O'Hara~..." He whispers. Eli pales quickly as Vincent walks into his room and closes the door.

"A-Are you okay...?" Shane asks, trembling a bit. Eli nods shakily.

"Just take me to that place you told me about..." He replies. Shane nods and walks down another hallway. As Eli follows, Vincent opens the door and says one more thing.

"I've got my eye on you. _Remember that..._ " Then he closes the door again. Eli runs down the hallway until he's right behind Shane.

"What did he say to you?" Shane asks. Eli fakes a smile and shakes his head.

"It's not important. He's just being weird." But he looks back anyway. Vincent's eyes, looking through the window in the doors, meet his own.

/five minutes later/

"The roof?" Eli asks as he closes the door behind them. Shane nods and sits by a vent.

"Sit by the vent. Warm air comes out, so the metal's warm too." He says. Eli nods and sits by him. His eyes widen as the other boy pulls out a bottle of wine. "Want some?" He asks. Eli shakes his head. Shane shrugs and opens the bottle, taking a long drink.

"Where did you even get that?" Eli asks. Shane grins evilly.

"Connections." He replies simply. Eli giggles, then his eyes widen as the roof door opens.

"Eli! Shane!" A nurse calls, looking around for them. Without thinking, Eli grabs the bottle from Shane and takes a drink just as the nurse looks at them. It tastes disgusting to him, but he swallows it. "What are you doing?!" Shane looks shocked.

/two hours later/

"Since this IS your first offence, you won't be punished." The head nurse says. Eli nods respectfully.

"Thank you Ma'am." He replies as they stop at his room. he opens the door and sighs. He assumes that Silas and Ashley aren't around, because they don't say anything and the lights are off. Eli turns them on...and is shoved against the wall hard. He yelps as he feels a large hand holding him against the wall and he looks up to see...

"I told you I'd see you tonight..." Vincent says, grinning.

 **GIANT cliffhanger! See you guys next weekend! Love y'all~!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been WAY too long since I updated this.**

 **I'm so sorry, you guys.**

 **But I'm finally back, and I hope you enjoy this!**

Eli wakes up on the floor, his vision slightly blurry and his head pounding.

"Si, he's awake!" Ashley's voice echoes from what sounds like the end of a long hallway.

"Thank God!" Silas's voice rings out, seemingly from the same distance. Eli slowly rolls from his side to his back, his head and neck throbbing. He opens his eyes lethargically to see his 'siblings' looking down at him. They look confused and scared.

"What...happened...?" Eli asks, his voice hoarse and sluggish. Silas carefully helps him to his feet, but he almost immediately falls back against his brother.

"We don't know..." Ashley tells him, her eyes filled with tears. "We came in about an hour ago and found you like this..." Silas takes a deep, shaky breath and hugs Eli tightly, pulling the redhead against him protectively.

"I'm so sorry..." He whispers. "I broke my promise...I wasn't here to help you..." Eli closes his eyes, his breathing still slow.

/three years earlier/

"Eli...?" Silas whispers, opening his brother's bedroom door. "Are you awake?" Eli sniffles, sitting up and looking at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"Yeah..." He replies, his voice clogged from crying. A long, shallow red line is visible on his arm. It almost physically hurts Silas to see it. Even if he was the one that made it. Without another word, he sits down and pulls Eli onto his lap. The 12-year-old immediately breaks down, throwing his arms around his older brother and holding on tightly. Silas silently does the same to Eli, then leans his head down to kiss the top of the ginger's head.

"I'm sorry, Eli..." He mutters, closing his eyes. Eli, if anything, tightens his hold and presses his face into Silas's chest as a fresh round of tears flood his eyes. "I promise...from now on...I'll never hurt you again. I won't allow anybody to hurt you...and I'll never leave you alone..."

/present/

"It's okay..." Eli whispers, weakly turning and hugging Silas back. "I'm alright..." Ashley smiles even as tears flow down her cheeks. She and Silas slowly, carefully help Eli walk to his bed and lay him down in the middle. Then they take their normal places on either side of him. Without another word, Eli reaches his hands down to theirs. Silas takes one hand, Ashley the other. They don't say anything else, just lie like that and fall asleep. Although Eli can't remember anything past walking into his room, he has nightmares of someone familiar attacking him.

...

"Eli!" The same nurse from the day before calls. Her voice is just as chipper as the first time around. Unlike last time, Eli almost immediately sits up and smiles at her.

"Good morning..." He says, his voice still groggy. The nurse grins.

"Good morning to you too! I finally got your schedule worked out! Would you like to see it?" She asks. Eli yawns and stretches, then nods. As he takes a slip of paper from the nurse, he looks back. Silas and Ashley are sleeping peacefully. His smile grows slightly, and he looks at the schedule.

Patient: Eli O'Hara

8:00 AM - Breakfast

8:30 AM - Arts And Crafts

10:30 AM - Music

12:30 PM - Lunch

1:00 PM - Break/Request Filing

2:00 PM - Visitation (Saturdays), Library (Monday Through Friday, Sunday)

3:00 PM - Doctor Interview (Monday), Japanese Literature (Tuesday Through Sunday)

5:00 PM - Dinner

5:30 PM - Free Time

8:00 PM - Lights Out

Cafeteria Stays Open Until 11:00 PM For Those With Insomnia Or Big Appetites.

Eli looks up at the nurse. "What's the difference between Break and Free Time?" He asks her, curious and a little confused.

"Break is more of a 'socialization' time with other patients. Free Time is more...well, free. You may do whatever you like, as long as it abides by our rules. You can take that time to practice subjects, or anything you can do around here without getting into trouble." She explains. Eli nods and looks down at the schedule again. Then he stands up and folds the paper neatly, sliding it into his pocket. "It's almost eight o'clock now. Are you hungry?" Eli's stomach immediately emits a loud growl, causing him to smile and blush while the nurse grins. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Come on."

...

Eli walks into the crowded cafeteria and looks around. The tables are mostly filled with people he doesn't know. He searches for Shane, but he doesn't seem to be in the room. Shyly, Eli walks to the breakfast bar. Bacon, sausage, eggs, and biscuits. Grinning, Eli takes some of everything and puts the food on a tray, then walks back to the tables. None of the tables are vacant. They're either full, or half full of people that Eli is too shy to speak to. Anxiety slowly gnaws at him as he catches a few people looking at him. Then he hears a deep voice behind him that sends chills down his spine.

"How'd you sleep, O'Hara?" Vincent asks lowly. Eli turns around, and even more people stop what they're doing to stare at the two of them. Eli's face feels hot, but the rest of him feels cold, frozen. Vincent notices and smirks, then gestures to another table that's almost empty, save for one or two patients. "Want me to clear out a table for you?" Eli blinks, surprised. He looks at the table. The few people already sitting there look tense. Eli slowly shakes his head.

"No thanks...I'm fine..." He mutters. Vincent's smirk morphs into a slight frown, but he doesn't do anything.

"How about you sit at my table, then?" He offers. If Eli is surprised (and he is), he can only imagine how the patients that have gotten on the psychopath's badside feel. Of course, the people that actually _know_ Vincent seem concerned. Before Eli can speak, Vincent gestures to a table at the back with nobody else there that Eli hadn't noticed. The ginger weighs his options (the incident by Vincent's room hasn't left his mind), then finally nods slowly.

"Okay..." He says, nodding nervously. Vincent grins (in what might've been a friendly way if he didn't have such an eerie demeanor) as he leads Eli to his table and sits down. Eli skips two seats and sits down too, then starts to eat quickly when he realizes that it's already 8:15. Then he looks over at Vincent and notices that the blonde doesn't have a tray, or any food. Eli holds out one of the biscuits. "Are you hungry...?" Vincent looks at the item, then shakes his head.

"I never eat breakfast. Don't ask why." He growls, but not angrily. Eli frowns and nods, then keeps eating. _Why isn't Shane eating breakfast...?_ He doesn't voice this question, opting instead to continue eating. When the bell finally rings, he's only halfway done eating. He turns to Vincent and his eyes widen. The blonde had already left without him noticing. He frowns, another chill running through him as he leaves the cafeteria.

...

When he walks outside, Shane is the first person he sees. The older boy is sitting alone at a bench on the far side of the courtyard. Eli walks over and sits next to him, smiling.

"Hi..." He says. Shane looks at him, then smiles.

"Hey...uh, about yesterday-"

"It's not a problem. I'd rather get into trouble than see you in it." Eli interrupts. If he isn't mistaken, Shane's face slightly reddens.

"Thanks...but you really shouldn't have done that. The punishments around here are never that bad. The worst one I've gotten is being locked in my room for a day." He says. Eli frowns and shifts a little closer to him. By now, his face is a little red too. Without thinking, he leans his head onto Shane's shoulder.

"You're my only friend here...I don't want you to be in trouble...even if the punishment's not bad..." He mutters, blushing deeply. Shane's blushing too, but shyly smiles.

"Thanks..." He pushes Eli off of him gently. Eli frowns, but doesn't say anything. "That really wouldn't have been the first time that they caught me with something I shouldn't have. It wouldn't have been the worst thing they caught me with, either." Eli starts to ask what the worst thing was, then decides it'd be better not to know.

"Do you think they'd allow pets here?" He asks, looking at Shane. The other boy looks surprised, then frowns and hums.

"I don't know. If anyone's asked, I haven't heard about it. Why, do you have a pet?" Eli nods.

"A dog. I just hope they didn't put him down, or something..." He mutters. Shane shakes his head.

"I doubt it. They won't kill a dog just because someone with a disorder has it." He replies. Eli frowns.

"I don't have a disorder..." He says. Shane looks at him.

"Why do you think you're here, then? Nobody here is sane. That's a patient, anyway." He retorts. Eli looks away, a slight pain starting in his chest as he stands up.

"Nice talking to you." He says bitterly. Shane watches, confused, as his friend walks over to the other end of the courtyard and sits in a corner, away from everyone. He frowns and bites his lip. _I probably shouldn't have said that..._

...

Eli sits down, staring at the pen in his hand. Then he shifts his gaze to the piece of paper in front of him. _I could ask for Butterscotch...but the chances of that actually being accepted are probably slim. What could I ask for, then...?_ When he's unable to think of anything, he just writes down his dog's name and species. Then he folds it up into an envelope and slides it into the box. As he heads to his room, he's surprised to see Ashley and Silas standing by the door.

"What're you guys up to?" He asks.

"Since someone broke into your room last night, we've been standing guard all day. And we're gonna take shifts tonight. Nobody's getting in here without us knowing about it." Silas replies. Eli rolls his eyes and grins a little.

"What do you two even do all day?" He asks. "Nobody else seems to think you actually exist, so it's not like you can socialize." Ashley shrugs.

"We do whatever we want. Listen to gossip, watch couples get romantic, stuff like that." She looks at Silas. "That's what _I_ do, anyway. God knows what Mr. Lone Wolf here does in his spare time." Silas rolls his eyes, but a faint blush grows on his cheeks. Eli looks at him, grinning.

"What do you do all day, Si?" He asks, his voice teasing. The older boy just glares.

"Just go inside..." He mutters. Eli giggles and walks into his room. He sighs and lays down, looking up at the ceiling. Then something catches his eye. A camera. A security camera. His eyes widen. _If they're watching me, shouldn't they have seen what happened to me last night?_ He gets up and walks closer to the camera. A chill runs down his spine as he sees that the lens was smashed, and the small wires cut cleanly. _Whoever attacked me had a knife..._

 **My God, I feel so evil X3**

 **I hope this extra long chapter made up for my absence! I hope you liked it too, Shane! I love you Freddybear~!**


End file.
